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2 Sheets-Sheet l Fileld May 26, 1951 sV ma:

f4 #ar/7e y Feb. 2l, 1956 R. PARLIER 2,735,287

Y KEY-OPERATED LOCK Filed May 26, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 9o er 'ferr/Afr 17 Aftarny.

United States Patent O KEY-QPERATED LOCK Roger Parlier, Geneva, Switzeriand Application May 26, 1%1, Serial No. 228,383

Claims priority, application Switzerland January 19, 1951 2 Claims. (Cl. 7G-129) The present invention relates to a key operated lock designed to equip a door of a room, on the external surface of which is fastened a lock-casing whilst the inner side of said door is provided with a housing in which a lock bolt is slidably disposed. According to the invention there are provided, in combination with the lock itself, at least one ordinary key and one special key, the latter being adapted to actuate the lock bolt from outside the room even if anybody inside the room has brought the lock bolt into a closed position of the door by operating a safety knob in such a manner that the rotary cage of the lock, provided with two kinds of locking blades, cannot be rotated into the opening position again by using the ordinary key.

The special key is providedwith bittings adapted to bring the ordinary blades into a neutral position and with additional humps so arranged that they drive the additional locking blade in the rotary cage.

The appended drawing illustrates by way of example two forms of construction of the present invention.

Figure l is a partial section through the axis of the rota-ry cage, on the line I -l in Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a section perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cage, on the line lI-ll in Figure l.

Figures 3 and 4 are longitudinal sections on the lines lll-III and lV-lV in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a section of the case and its contents, on the line V-V in Figure l.

Figure 6 represents in plan on a larger scale a pair of blades engaging the driven rotary cage.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of the case, and

Figure 8 is an elevational view of the casing looking towards the left in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a section, perpendicular to the axis of the rotarycage in a second embodiment, said section being taken on the line IX-IX in Figure l0.

Figure l0` is an axial section ou the line X-X in Figure 9.

Figure l1 isa sectional View on the line XI-PH in Figure l0.

Figure l2 shows a movable blade co-operating with a fixed blade.

Figure 13 is an end view of the bottom of the rotary cage according to a modification.

The lock case 1 in the first embodiment, preferably made of aluminium diel casting, encloses in its cylindrical cavity 2 the rotary cage of a key-operated lock. Said cavity 2 is juxtaposed with a second cavity 3 carrying a secret combination locking bar which need not be described since it forms no part of the invention and which is controlled by the control members shown at 4 and 5. The cylindrical cavity 2 iirst referred to is provided with two diametrically opposite axial blocking slots 6 and 7 in its wall. In a circular aperture 8y in the case, concentric with the cylindrical cavity 2, is mounted a driving member 9, thev inner circular edgeof which is -guided in the cavity 2 itself. The driving member 9 is pierced with 2,735,287 Patented Feb. 21, 1956 a guiding perforation 10 for a key 11, the bit of which is formed with axial ribs 12 adapted to engage cooperating grooves formed in the Wall of the said perforation. The opposite edges 13 and 14 of the bit of the key 11 exhibit notches alternating with humps designed to cooperate with the blades which will be hereinafter described.

The driving member 9 includes two longitudinal projections 15 with externally cylindrical surfaces in contact with the wall of cavity 2. The projections 15 terminate in tenons 16 engaging corresponding apertures 16a provided in the cooperating rotary cage 17 which latter comprises two walls 18 parallel to the axis A-A of the cavity 2, and a hollow cylindrical portion 19. The walls 1S are extended as tenons 20 fixed into the solid head of the driving member.

The case 1 (Figures 5, 7 and 8) has a peripheral wall provided with apertured end lugs 22 and 23, into each of which is forced a small plate 24, 25 formed with a tapped hole (Figure l). A supporting counter-plate 26, fixed into a corresponding recess provided in the inner face of the door P, is lixed by means of screws 27 engaging in the tapped holes in the small plates 24 and 25, and by means of larger screws 2S screwed into recesses 29 formed in the plate of the case. The latter is closed on its inner face by a plate 30 provided with two lateral tenons 31 engaging beneath the hooks 32 of the case (Fig. 8). This plate Si) has an end notch 33 fitting over a thickened portion 34 of the case. This plate Sil also has two elongated apertures 35 and 36, through which pass respectively the cylindrical portion 19 of theV rotary cage, and a rotary cylindrical part of the combination locking bar in the cavity 3. Thus, the assembling of the case 1, completely equipped, and of the plate 3i), can be effected by a simple shifting of this plate.

The rotary cage 17 has an external projection 93 (Fgure 6) so arranged as to limit the angular displacement of the said rotary cage 17 by coming up against one or the other of the ends 94 and 95 of a slot in the case 1 (Figure 8).

The wallsV 18 of the rotary cage present six guiding apertures 38, facing one another in pairs. In each group of two apertures situated opposite to one another at the same level there is a pair of complementary locking blades 4d, identical, except that they face opposite directions. Each blade 40 is provided with a terminal blocking projection 41, a contact bearing surface 42 designed to co'- operate with the opposite edges 13, 14 of the bit of the key, a shank 43 supporting a spring 44, a guiding shank 45, and two contact edges d6 (see Figure 6) with the second blade of the pair. The springs 44 urgeV the blades in such a Way that the blockingv projections 41 engage in the axial slots 6 and 7 in the absence of a key. The blades 40 occupy positions turned through 180 degrees about a longitudinal axis B-B perpendicular tothe axis of rotation A-A, when passing from one pair to the next, so that the blocking projections 41 bear alternately upon one edge and the other edge of the blockingV slots 6 and 7. It is therefore more advantageous to have an even number of groups of complementary blades, four for example, so as to effect symmetrical blocking. These complementary blades 4d are arranged on either side of an axiall plane of symmetry passingV through the line B-B, perpendicular to the plane of Figure 5. The cylindrical portion 19 of the rotary cage' 17 is coupled by a screwdriver like blade 48 to a coupling member Si) carrying a crank 51, upon which bears resiliently the inner edge of a sliding frame 52 fixed to the rst sliding lock bolt 53. The coupling member 5d is mounted against a panel 54 forming part of a housing 55, which is secured to the inner face of the door P by means of screws engaging in the perforations 56 (Figure 2). A spring 57, bearing against a block 58, urges the iirst lock bolt 53 towards g n the closure position, that is to say, into a keeper 60 fixed to the door frame. The thick vertical wall of the housing 55 has two cylindrical apertures 61 and 62 (Figures 3 and 4), in which a control knob 63 for the keyoperated lock, and a safety knob 64 for the combination locking bar, can revolve. The control knob 63 carries a bent arm 65, against which the edge of the sliding frame 52 bears resiliently. It is thus possible to actuate the sliding lock bolt 53 either by means of the key 11, or, from inside the premises, by means of the knob 63.

The safety knob 64 carries rigidly a controlling crank 66, having an arm 67 constantly engaged in a notch 68 in a flat bar 69 ixed to a second sliding lock bolt 70, which enters the stoppage keeper 60 when the user actuates the combination control members 4, 5 in the closing direction. At the end of the closing stroke the bar 69 strikes against the fixed abutment 128. Two dowels 71 carried by the safety knob 64 can engage either in the normal positioning cavities 72 or in the special positioning cavities 73, according to the angular position of the safety knob. These cavities 72 and 73 are provided in a coupling member 74 engaging with a screw-driver like blade 75, which is itself actuated by the rotary cage 76 of the combination locking bar. A spring 77 urges the safety knob 64 into either of the angular positions for which it may be coupled with the coupling member 74.

The coupling members 50 and 74 are prevented from moving along the axis A-A by bridge-like supports 78 assembled on the panel 54 by xing in, and held stationary by pins 79.

In the lock described above, the first lock bolt 53 can be actuated either by means of the key 11 from the exterior or by means of the control knob 63 from the interior of the premises.

When the user inserts the key 11 right home in the guiding perforation 10, the projections on the edges 13 and 14 of the key bit, by acting upon the contact bearing surfaces 42, return the blades 40 to the unblocked position represented in Figure 5. In this movement the end blocking projections are withdrawn from the locking slots 6 and 7. The key 11 and the rotary system comprising the driving member 9 and the driven rotary cage 17 can then be turned in the direction appropriate for withdrawing the lock bolt 53 from the keeper 60.

The above key-operated lock operates in the following manner:

For the purpose of opening, the key 11 is inserted right home into the perforation 10, so that the bit edges 13, 14 by acting upon the contact surfaces 42 of the blades 40, withdraw the latter into the neutral position (Figure 5) against the resistance of the springs 44. The rotary cage 17 and driving member 9 being thus unlocked, the key is turned in the direction of the arrow F1, referring to Figure 2, so that the crank 51, acting upon the frame 52, withdraws the lock bolt S3 from the keeper 60. The lock is unlocked.

When the door is next closed without using the key, the bevel 98 of the lock bolt 53 is impelled by the edge of the aperture corresponding thereto in the keeper 60. The spring 57 is thus compressed. As soon as the lock bolt 53 is completely facing the aperture in question the spring 57 can relax and push the lock bolt 53 into the said aperture in order to keep the door shut.

The lock illustrated in Figures 9 to l1 comprises an oval case 99, an ordinary key such as the key 11 of the iirst constructional form, and a special key 80 of the same total length, but of which the bit comprises a supplementary hump S. The rotary cage 97, assembled with the driving member 9, has supplementary guiding apertures S1, in which there can slide at least Vone additional blade 82 and a complementary blade 33. The latter has the same general form as the blades 40 of the first embodiment, but with a shorter shank 43. The additional blade 82 terminates at one end in a shank 106 carrying a spring 107, and at the other end in a locking projection 108.

The cylindrical cavity 88 in which the rotary cage 97 and driving member 9 are mounted is provided in parallel relationship with its axis with two pairs of locking grooves S9 and 90, diametrically opposite, for the end blocking projections of the ordinary blades 40 described with reference to Figure 6. The grooves 89 correspond to the open position, and the grooves 90 to the locked position of the lock.

The projection 108 has a breadth half a millimeter larger than the sum of the brcadths of the two blocking projections 41 associated with the ordinary blades. Due to this arrangement, when the projection 108 is in contact with the iiank 109 of the cooperating groove 90, the breadth of which is slightly larger than the sum of the breadths of the projection 41 and of the end of the shank 43, it defines the correct angular position of the ordinary blades for the closed position of the lock with an allowance of one-half millimeter on both sides in the plane of Fig. 6. There is also in the cavity 88 an intermediate abutment 91, which cooperates with the projection 108 so as to define the correct positioning of the ordinary blades in the groove 89. The radial thickness of the fixed abutment 91 is equal to half the depth of the radially segmental enlarged portion 110 of the cavity 88 for the purpose of limiting the angular displacement of the movable projection 108. i The segmental enlarged portion 110 extends on its periphery from the flank 109 of the groove 90 up to a special abutment 111 over a total angular field substantially equal to twice the angular field of action (about 60) comprised between the upper grooves 89 and 90. This latter angle of 60 corresponds to the necessary rotary movement of the rotary system 9, 97 by means of the ordinary key to bring the lock-bolt from a locking position to a releasing position and vice versa.

The inside face of the door P for which this lock is intended is provided with a housing 112, in which a safety knob 113 can turn and axially slide, said knob is coupled by dowels 114 to a crank-piece 66-67 identical with the one described with reference to Figure 2. This crank-piece engages, with a clearance, a notch 68 in a sliding bar 69 connected with the lock-bolt 11S. The dowels 114, under the action of the spring 116, in the direction of the arrow F4, normally engage in the holes 117 in the bottom of the cylindrical portion 118 forming an extension of the rotary cage 97 (Fig. 11).

From the interior of the premises, the lock-bolt can be actuated by means of the safety knob 113, independently of the position of the rotary system 9, 97 by exerting an axial pull in the direction F2 to withdraw the dowels 114 from the cavities 117. This axial pull, which compresses the spring 116, nevertheless leaves the crank-piece arm 67 engaged in the notch 68. The knob 113 can be turned in the direction of the arrow Fe (Fig. l1) and bring the lock-bolt 115 into the closed position, for which the dowels face the holes 119 and enter same upon relaxation of the kaxial pull, as will be hereinafter explained.

As will be seen from Figure 13, the holes 117-119 may be replaced by radial grooves -131 spaced 60 degrees apart and formed inthe bottom of the cylindrical portion 118 of the rotary cage. Furthermore each of the dowels 114 may have a truste-conical end. Even if their distances from the axis of rotation of the cage 97-118 are not strictly equal, these dowels engage readily the radial grooves 130-131 when the safety knob 113 is operated.

Assuming that the user, being inside the premises, desires to lock himself in and block the lock, although the rotary system 9, 97 has been brought into the open position by manipulating the ordinary key, the projections 41 being consequently engaged in the grooves 89, he should pull the knob 113 to withdraw the dowels 114 from the holes 117 and turn it in the direction of the arrow Fa for effecting the closure of the lock bolt 115 always adapted to be driven by the crank-piece 66-67 and this closure is complete when the dowels 114 enter the holes 119,1he

aast-sfeer? axial pull being relaxed. It would then be impossible to open the lock from the outside by means of the ordinary key 11, since the bit of the latter has no supplementary hump to drive the additional blade 82 against the action of the spring 107 and thus release the projection 108 of this blade from the intermediate abutment 91. It is to be noted that the necessary rotary movement of the system 9, 97 to open the lock (the lock bolt 115 being in the closed position) should be achieved in the direction of the arrow F3. However such a supplementary rotation is not possible as long as the projection 103 is stopped by the intermediate abutment 91.

In point of fact, the spring 107 pushes the blade 82 in the direction of the arrow F (Figure 9) until the tappet 121 strikes the rotary cage 97. When this cage 97 revolves, the movable projection 108 cooperates with the intermediate abutment 91 to arrest this rotation and to prevent any opening of the lock by means of the ordinary key. When on the other hand the special or managers key 80 is introduced right home into the cage 9, the major portion m of the bit returns the juxtaposed blades 40 into the neutral position represented in Figure 5, and, in addition, the supplementary hump acts against the spring 107, upon the additional blade 82, which then assumes the released position shown in Figure 9. lt then becomes possible to rotate the system 9, 97 in the direction F3 until the movable projection S strikes against the special abutment 111, this movement having the effect of opening the lock, since it rotates the crank-piece arm 67 in the direction requisite for withdrawing the lock bolt 115 from the door-frame keeper 60.

By means of the managers key 80, it is therefore possible to open the lock from the outside even if a person inside the premises has previously set the safety knob 113 in a position corresponding to the closure of the lock.

ln a building such as a hotel, for example, comprising a number of rooms all the doors of which should allow their operation through a master key in the managers possession, whereas the lock of any door should be operated normally only through its own individual ordinary key in the possession of the guest, it is advantageous to provide, for the various locks, different combinations of blades, cooperating however with identical rotary cages.

To fulfill these conditions, it is necessary to replace one or more sliding blades 40 by a corresponding number of stationary blades 125 as shown in Fig. l2. The stationary blades have no contact bearing surfaces 42 adapted to cooperate with the bittings of any key. In a rotary system such as 9, 97 in Figures 9 and l0 having four pairs of guiding apertures 38, in which are slidably arranged six ordinary blades 40, one ordinary complementary blade 83 and a special blade 82, it would be possible, for instance, to replace three slidable blades 40 by three stationary blades and thus to get a new combination. The position and the number of the slidable blades, their permutation in the four pairs of guiding apertures 3S, would provide thirty-tive diierent lock combinations capable of being actuated by the managers key.

When a pair of window apertures 38 carries a single movable blade 40, as illustrated in Figure l2, the second blade 125 engaging the said apertures 38 is held stationary therein by the tenons 126 abutting against the cage walls 18. The bit of each individual key presents only the humps necessary for unlocking the movable blades of a corresponding lock. When all the movable blades are thus brought into the unlocking position, the additional blade 82 being excepted, the suitable individual key is adapted to rotate the system 9, 97 within the first angular eld of action limited by flank 109 and intermediate abutment 91, in coaction with the terminal projection 103 of the additional blade 82. The bit of the managers key in the managers possession, on the other hand, has all the humps necessary for unlocking all the combinations of movable blades, as well as the supplementary hump 105 for releasing the terminal projection 108 of the additional blade 82 from the intermediate abutment 91.

The blades 40 and 125 are interchangeable from one group 38 of guiding apertures to another group, with a view to permitting different combinations of fixed blades and sliding blades.

In the two forms of construction described, the keys 11 and 80, the cage 18 or 97, the closure plate 30, the positioning plate 26, the panel 54, the blades of both types, the crank-piece 66-67, the frame 52, the ilat bar 69, the bridge-like guards 78 and various other parts, may be manufactured by stamping and pressing, in order to diminish the cost-price. The parts made in this way are more accurate than they would be if they were cast.

What I claim is:

l. A key operated lock comprising a lock casing adapted to be secured on the outer side of a door, a housing adapted to be fastened on the inner side of the door, a bolt slidable in said housing, an ordinary key and a special key both having identical normal bittings on either side, the special key being further provided with a supplementary hump, said lock casing being provided with a cylindrical cavity having two pairs of diametrally opposite grooves, extending axially therein and having stopping iianks, the said two pairs of grooves limiting, about the axis of said cylindrical cavity, a first angular field corresponding to the necessary amount of rotation of the ordinary key to bring said slidable bolt from a locking to a releasing position and vice-versa, the said cylindrical cavity including a radially enlarged segmental hollow portion extending on its periphery from one ank of said axial grooves up to a special abutment over a second angular eld substantially equal to twice said lirst angular lield, an intermediate radial abutment inwardly projecting from the wall of said segmental portion and having a stopping edge located in the middle of said second angular field, a cage rotatably disposed in said cylindrical cavity and provided with a guiding perforation for said ordinary and special keys, said cage comprising two opposite walls in which are formed a plurality of pairs of guiding apertures facing one another, one or more of said guiding apertures facing, besides, said segmental hollow portion, a plurality of pairs of normal locking blades slidable in some of said guiding apertures, at least one additional blade slidable in those apertures facing said segmental hollow portion, said additional blade being provided with a terminal locking projection, means for urging said additional blade towards a normally stopping position by coaction of said locking projection with said intermediate abutment, said additional blade being provided with a contacting surface to be engaged only by said supplementary hump of the special key, a safety knob provided with a crank-piece adapted to always drive said bolt, said safety knob being rotatable and axially movable within a guiding aperture in said housing, the inner end of said rotatable cage having normal positioning recesses and special positioning recesses spaced apart from one another by an angular amount equal to said iirst angular ield, dowels fastened to the inner end of said safety knob, spring means urging said dowels into engagement with either said normal or special positioning recesses, whereby said safety knob is adapted to actuate said bolt irrespective of whether said normal and additional blades are locked or released, whilst said supplementary hump of the special key is adapted to release said additional blade from said intermediate abutment, thus permitting an actuation of said rotatable cage in said second angular lield of action.

2. A key operated lock comprising a lock casing adapted to be secured to the outer side of a door, a housing adapted to be fastened to the inner side of the door, a bolt slidable in said housing, an individual key and a managers key, both these keys having common bittings on either side, the managers key having an additional hump, said lock casing having a cylindrical cavity therein, provided with two pairs of diametrically opposite grooves axially disposed and including between them a tirst angular eld of action, the said cylindrical cavity ncluding a concentric, radially enlarged, segmental hollow portion extending on itsperiphery from one edge of said axial grooves up to a special abutment over a total second angular field of action equal to twice said rst angular field, an intermediate radial abutmentrinwardly projecting from the wall of said segmental hollow portion in the middle thereof, a cage rotatably arranged in said cylindrical cavity and provided with an axial perforation for the individual key and the managers key, said cage comprising two opposite walls in which are formed a plurality of pairs of guiding apertures facing one another, at least one of said guiding apertures facing said segmental hollow portion, a plurality of slidable locking blades designed for different individual lock combinations and located in some of said guiding apertures, adjacent a stationary guiding blade, every said slidable locking blade being provided with a terminal projection and with a contacting part designed to coact with a corresponding bitting of an individual key or with a corresponding hitting of said managers key for bringing said locking blade into a neutral position, spring means inserted between a part of said locking blade and a wall of said cage for urging said terminal projection into one or the other of said axial grooves, at least one additional slidable locking blade arranged in said guiding aperture facing said segmental hollow portion and being spring urged towards a locking position and having a terminal projection adapted to limit the possible actuation of said rotatable cage Within said rst angular field of action, by coacting with said intermediate abutment, when said individual key isI introduced into said cage, whilst by introduction of the managers key, the additional hump of the latter releases the said terminal projection of said additional locking blade from said intermediate abutment, thus permitting a rotation of said rotatable cage over the total of said second angular field, a safety knob carrying a crank piece adapted to always controi said bolt irrespective of the angular position of said rotatable cage, said safety knob being rotatable and axially movable within Va bearing in said housing, axially spring urged, and retractable coupling means connected partly to said rotatable cage and partly to said safeey knob, the whole arangement being such that the number and the repartition of said locking blades and of said stationary blades in the several pairs of said guiding apertures can be changed to suit several combinations, whereby one individual key is adapted to only coact with the slidable locking blades of a given combination, whilst the bit of said managers key is adapted to coact with the slidable locking blades of all said combinations.

Hoes Aug. 2, 1910 Van Winkle Feb. 16, 1915 

